The following background information is provided to assist the reader in understanding the environment in which the invention will typically be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless specifically stated otherwise in this document.
Articulated coupling arrangements are well known in the railroad industry for connecting together adjacently disposed ends of a pair of railway cars.
One type of prior art articulated coupling device is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,082 to Daugherty et al owned by the assignee of the present invention. The teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,082 are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Such articulated coupling arrangement provides a male connection member which can be retrofitted into existing railway cars and is capable of connecting them together in conjunction with a female connection member in a substantially semi-permanent fashion. Such male connection member includes a first end portion having a predetermined configuration enabling engagement and connection thereof to a predetermined end of a center sill member disposed substantially along a longitudinal centerline of a railway car to be connected.
The male connection member has a second end portion formed integrally with such first end portion and disposed substantially axially opposite such first end portion. Such second end portion includes an outer end surface having a predetermined configuration ensuring that no contact will be made between the outer end surface and other components of such articulated type coupling arrangement.
An aperture, having a predetermined size and a predetermined shape, is formed through a predetermined portion of such second end portion of the male connection member. A longitudinal axis of this aperture is disposed transverse to a longitudinal axis of such male connection member. Additionally, this longitudinal axis of such aperture is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane during operation.
A bearing assembly including a spherical member positioned within a race assembly formed by a pair of races is pressed into such aperture and secured by welding such pair of raceways to such second end portion or by utilizing at least one separate retaining member, fastened to the second end with a plurality of fasteners, to cage the bearing assembly the aperture.
The welding method has been preferred due to its manufacturing cost advantages, however, the heat generated during such welding process is undesirable for maintaining structural integrity of such male connection member which is typically produced by a casting process.
The at least one separate retaining member, fastened to the second end with a plurality of fasteners, eliminates undesirable effect of the heat generated during the welding process but would not withstand applied forces in all applications.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an economical locking arrangement for securing the bearing assembly in the male connection member which eliminates the disadvantages of applying heat to such male connection member during welding or utilizing a fastened retaining member.
As is well known, the articulated coupling arrangement must be periodically reconditioned. Such reconditioning is generally carried out by replacing the bearing races due to deterioration of their surfaces during railway car service. Presently, such replacement necessitates removal of the existing welds, usually by grinding, and application of new welds after insertion of the new bearing assembly which is undesirable as discussed above.